The newly discovered tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio at the Porta Sarno, Pompeii

Neronian zeitgeist and its local reflection

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12374714
AutoresLlorenc Alapont Martin (Universitat de València, autor de correspondencia), Gabriel Zuchtriegel (0000-0001-8629-7383)
Año2022
Volumen35
Número2
Páginas595-620
Fecha de publicación2022-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Roman Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1047-7594 • E-ISSN: 2331-5709
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1047759422000459
OpenAlexW4317811068
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas15

The tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio was discovered in July 2021 in the necropolis of Porta Sarno at Pompeii. This paper contextualizes it against the backdrop of 1st-c. CE burial customs and social history. The inscription on the pediment shows that the tomb owner was a former public slave who, after manumission, rose to the rank of the Augustales; he was a “custodian” of the temple of Venus, and he organized “Greek and Latin games/performances.” This is the first archaeological discovery providing direct evidence of Greek musical and/or theatrical performances at Pompeii. Another peculiarity is that Secundio was inhumed, not cremated, a practice so far unique among adults in Pompeii during this period. The inhumation of Secundio and his titulus sepulcralis can be read as local reflections of the Neronian zeitgeist and shed light on the modes by which cultural trends spread from the capital throughout the empire

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Zeitgeist · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Philosophy